I know it’s not a popular notion but making guns to sell must be a tough business. Your quality product is expected to function for the lifetime of three generations of users. The auto industry managed to wiggle some planned obsolescence in to cars, but that simply would be unacceptable in a firearm.
Glock has done a good job of convincing institutions and individuals that what they bought 7 years ago, although perfectly functional, isn’t good enough any longer and must be replaced. 10 rounds of 9mm won’t do the job so now 16 rounds are needed, although the vast majority are actually shot zero times in conflict. Wait, now single stack is good... and around we go.
Shotguns sell for more if the beautiful walnut is replaced with black plastic and the stocks are made nonfunctional. Machined parts are replaced with stamped, as the shotgun that used to go through boxes and boxes of ammunition hunting and shooting skeet now see a day or two in a quarry shooting at a washing machine and are then put away dirty by kids that don’t know how to clean a shotgun bore.
I have faced as many real world aggressors needing a firearm as I have met real world cowboy bad guys. My single action pistols have dispatched plenty of game animals though.
But that won’t sell more guns. Fear, uncertainty, doubt... used to sell stuff to people.
Me- I like shooting. It’s a sport I was raised doing and I like it. I shoot a lot. Buying crap that goes boom an afternoon or two... Then stored improperly where kids, thieves or impaired people might get at them.. I feel they would be safer spending the money renting at a range a few days.
Most of my friends here train, practice, and are sober thoughtful people- evidenced by not running out to buy stuff when they suddenly notice the world.
Panic for a much higher number of guns being owned? Maybe so.